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World's deepest submerged tunnel

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Marmaray tunnel project in Istanbul will be first railway connection between Europe and Asia

The 76-kilometer route will ease commuter traffic on Istanbul's roads and strait

Tunnel construction has been delayed by discovery of ancient artifacts

Seismic activity also a consideration for contractors who have fitted "flexible joints" in the tunnel

As a city that sits astride two continents, Istanbul has always been a strategic gateway between the East and West. But an ambitious railway project is pulling the two continents even closer together with the construction of the world's deepest submerged tunnel.

The 76-kilometer (47.2-mile) Marmaray Project will include the world's first submerged railway connection between Europe and Asia, ferrying passengers under a 1.4-km (0.9-m) section of the Bosphorus Strait.

However, the massive infrastructure overhaul undertaken by Turkey's Ministry of Transportation has not been without problems. The project started in 2004 and has suffered multiple setbacks due to the region's rich heritage, as Turkey's transport minister Binali Yildirim explains.